Jade's unforgettable Frozen wish!
Disney fan Jade's wish was to see the Frozen musical. Thanks to our supporters and partners, read what happened when Jade went to see Elsa and her co-stars.
Diagnosis
The girl who dreams in purple
There's purple everywhere in Jade's life.
She gets her nails painted purple and wore a purple dress to her school graduation.
It's also the colour of the International Rett Syndrome Foundation. In 2009 Jade was diagnosed with the syndrome, a rare genetic neurological and developmental disorder.
Born in 2002, Jade was not exhibiting any concerning signs until she reached 18 months.
"Kids with Rett syndrome progress normally until about 18 months, and then there is a drastic regression, and that was textbook for Jade," her mum Beth said.
"She lost her communication skills, her mobility, and she would not want to socialise with other young kids."
After six years of tests and a series of false diagnoses, Rett syndrome was finally diagnosed.
"The diagnosis really aligned with what we were seeing," Beth said,
"Most girls never walk, they never speak, they are fed through a tube. So for Jade being able to walk and say a few words has made us just forge ahead with all the health therapies we can."
Teenage life
'Jade deserves a wish'
Jade has a good quality of life today. She has National Disability Insurance Scheme support workers who take her everywhere from op-shopping to manicures.
"She likes to go bowling, to the movies and have girlfriend sleepovers where they eat pizza and listen to music," Beth said.
The one thing Beth thought Jade could not have was a wish.
A couple of Jade's friends had been granted wishes, but Beth thought her beautiful daughter wouldn't qualify for a wish.
"But then we talked to Jade's neurologist in Brisbane, and he said, 'Jade deserves to have a wish because you don't know when she's going to go.'
Wish day
Jade's heart warmed by Frozen
After Make-A-Wish reviewed her application, Jade's wish to see the Disney musical Frozen was approved!
"Jade is all about Disney," Beth said. "She's always been a Disney girl, and she will get right up next to the television if there's Disney on, just as if she's in the movie.
"To know that Jade could go to Frozen – she was very excited and very ready for it!"
In the lead up to her big day, Make-A-Wish took Jade on a journey to build excitement and give her something to look forward to.
This included a video message from Jemma Rix and Courtney Monsma who play Elsa and Anna in Frozen the Musical, which Jade absolutely loved.
And on the weekend before the wish, Make-A-Wish volunteers Crystelle and Libby presented Jade with a Frozen pamper pack to take on her travels.
Jade and her family travelled from the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane for Jade’s wish weekend and the highlight was, of course, seeing Frozen!
"When Elsa sang her song Let It Go, and her costume changed, Jade got so excited," Beth said.
"She sat on the edge of her seat for the whole show."
After the intermission, Jade was befriended by an audience member who co-incidentally looked like Elsa.
"She worked at one of the special schools in Brisbane and asked if she could sit next to Jade for the show's second half," Beth said.
"This beautiful young lady sat on one side of Jade and signed for her for the rest of the show. It was like an angel was there!"
Wish Effect
Wish to live on Jade's memory
Beth said Jade's wish exceeded all their expectations.
When they returned from the wish trip, they placed the Frozen tickets and storybook where Jade could easily see them.
"Jade is great when she has visuals. The wish will live on forever," Beth said.
"A wish allows our kids to dream. Jade felt very proud she was able to make decisions to help plan the wish and to have it come true and give her that lasting memory.
"The wish is a lifetime thing and builds up kids when their lives can get really challenging."
The wish is a lifetime thing and builds up kids when their lives can get really challenging
Beth mum of Jade, Rett syndrome, 19
The Wish Journey
How a wish comes to life
Make-A-Wish volunteers visit each child to capture their greatest wish, getting to the heart of what kids truly want and why. This profound insight is part of what makes Make-A-Wish unique, giving children full creative control and helping to shape their entire Wish Journey.
Back at Make-A-Wish HQ, we partner with families, volunteers and medical teams to design the ultimate wish experience - and start rallying our partners and supporters to help make it happen.
In the lead up to the wish, we take each child on a journey designed to build excitement and provide a welcome distraction from medical treatment. Anticipation can be incredibly powerful, helping to calm, distract and inspire sick kids at a time they need it most.
When the moment finally arrives, children get to experience their greatest wish come true - it's everything they've imagined and more. Pinch yourself, and don't forget to take a breath and enjoy every precious moment!
Wish impact studies show that a child's wish lives on, long after the moment. A wish gives more than just hope – with an incredible and lasting effect on the lives of sick kids, their families and wider communities.
